Workforce Initiatives

Innovations in the field

NAWB is involved with special initiatives to build innovations in the field and conduct research that advance our mission.

NAWB Joins College Completion Effort of the Center for Women and Work

The National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) and the Rutgers University Center for Women and Work (CWW) joined forces to explore ways to help workforce development clients complete college degrees. CWW launched a multi-state initiative to leverage existing resources in order to identify adults close to finishing a degree and help them earn the remaining credits they need. This creative effort used a range of funding sources and programs to expand the potential pay-off of short-term training by helping workers obtain solid credentials that can lead to higher earnings, help put the unemployed back to work, and improve employment outcomes for incumbent workers the system serves. Funding from this grant built the Adult College Completion Network, which is now facilitated by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE).

The NAWB, EMSI and Full Capacity Marketing, Inc. designed a national workforce scorecard model that reports the benefits and costs of WIA programs, along with the unique economic impacts of WIB operations on regional income and jobs. The Scorecard model is adapted to assess single or multiple WIBs as well as local, state or multi-state service regions and was piloted with South Central Michigan Works!.

The healthcare industry continues to provide some of the best career opportunities in the country. To help job seekers, career changers, and entry level individuals enter healthcare, the U.S. Department of Labor funded the development of the Healthcare Virtual Career Network (VCN), a comprehensive online tool for exploring healthcare careers, locating training and education programs, and finding jobs in over 75 different healthcare career fields. The National Association of Workforce Boards, working with the American Association of Community Colleges, Jobs for the Future, American Council on Education, and many others, received a grant from DOL to ensure the successful launch of VCN, which can be found at www.vcn.org/health-care.

Transit is a $55 billion industry that directly employs more than 400,000 workers, with many openings expected over the next five to 10 years. Individuals can pursue employment in the transit industry with the recently released Transit Virtual Career Network, which provides localized information on more than 50 different frontline, transit-related occupations, including information on job growth and wages; physical/ medical requirements; legal requirements; required education and training; education, training, and financial aid sources; and available job opportunities. The National Association of Workforce Boards joined a consortium of university, nonprofit, and technology partners, funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration, in the development of this web site (www.vcn.org/transit).